Stencil-printing machine.



Patented Apr. a, ymay J. AMBLER. STENGIL PRBNTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Jun 25, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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1N. 696,393.5 Patented Apr. l, |902.

' 4. A. AMBLEH.

STENCIL PRINTING MACHINE.

(Application med :rune 25, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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tNirnp @trarne Paritair prient JAMES A. AMBLER, OF NATICK, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 696,393, dated April 1, 1902.

Application filed June 25, 1900. Serial No. 21,404. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern.'

Beit known thatI, JAMES A.AMBLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Natick, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Stencil-Printing Machines, of which the fol lowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a novel machine by which to print from a stencil-sheet having its surface disturbed to enable the ink applied to one side of the sheet to be displayed on paper in characters corresponding with the disturbed portion of the stencil-sheet.

Heretofore stencil-sheets have been composed of a special thin paper coated with wax 0f some sort, and the Wax has been disturbed or abraded to break u p the continuity of the surface coating bya type or other instrument to enable the characters or lines left after using the type or other instrument to afford passage for the ink to be used in printing, and all such sheets at present known to me soon wear out, due to their friction against the paper to be printed.

The stencil-sheet employed in the machine herein to be described has a body composed of a thin woven fabric-preferably silk, muslin, or chiffon-it constituting a body for the stencil-sheet, and I coat this body with a substance impervious to ink, and to prevent it from stretchingwhen extended upon the stencil-holding pad to be described and at work I reinforce this fabric with a soft absorbent material like cotton wadding, it being of sufficient. thickness as not to prevent ink from being delivered properly when the ink-holding pad to be described is subjected to pressure, so that the stencil-sheet may be made to imprint its characters properly upon the paper to be printed.

Inthe use of a stencil-sheet as heretofore practiced the ink Aforced through the sheet in printing has been applied by a roll or brush,`the ink on the roll or brush being renewed at short intervals, and the ink has been applied to the, inner side of a sheet of muslin sustaining at its outer side the stencil-sheet. i 5

In my experiments I have aimed and have produced a machine wherein a very great number of impressions may be made without renewing the ink-supply, and to do this effectually I have provided a flexible absorbent ink-holding pad which is capable in use of receiving and retaining a quantity of ink,which will deliver itself to the stencil-sheet as required whenever the ink-holding pad is subjected to pressure, the pad being of such ma terial and so retaining the ink that only the necessary amount to make the stencil-sheet operative is given up by the pad.

In the use of my machine I saturate the pad more or less with ink, the ink being so compounded that it will not dry outright rapidly or oxidize, so that a pad impregnated with ink may be used for a comparatively long time, thus enabling a great number of impressions to be had before the ink is exhausted.

In this class of machines ordinarily the ink is fed to the stencilsheet through a thin sheet of cotton cloth or muslin lsupported on a perforated metallic plate, the ink being applied to the metallic plate, and passing through suitable holes or slits therein the ink enters the cotton sheet and flows onto one side of the stencil-sheet. The ink used, in order that it may flow properly, must be thin, and frequently the impression made through the stencil is blurred because of the thinness of the ink, and with this thin cotton cloth the pigment used fills the cloth and renders it inoperative to deliver the ink uniformly to the stencil-sheet.

My improved pads may be saturated with ink putin proper packages and be sold to users of my machine to be applied thereto whenever a pad has become exhausted.

My improved pad is composed for the best results of a blanket fabric or a fabric of considerable thickness woven after the manner of blankets of animal fiber, such as hair or wool.

By the use of a woolen blanket for a pad I iind that the heavier portions of pigment or coloring-matter in the ink are retained in the blanket and are not delivered therefrom to the stencil-sheet, and consequently the sheet may be used satisfactorily for a longer time than said. heavier portions allowed to were the IOO come in contact with the sheet, as would be the case were a thin underlie of cotton fabric employed against which the ink is directly applied.

Figurel isaplan View of a portion of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 15 is a sectional detail showing the inner end of one of the arms carrying the journal of the nipping feed-roll. Fig. 2 represents in side elevation a portion of said machine, it representing a holder for an ink-pad. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detail showing the front end of the pad-holder containing a pad covered with a stencil-sheet, it being represented as having connected with it a web to constitute atailpiece, the pad also sustaining a stencil-sheet. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the machine shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5I is a sectional detail of the rear end of the pad-holder and part of the stencil-sheet and part of a web extending beyond the end of the pad to constitute a pad end for the purpose of attaching the pad firmly to the pad-holder, and Fig. 6 is a section through a modified form of the stencil-sheet.

The framework, shown as composed of side pieces A, united by suitable cross rods or ties A', may be of any suitable shape to form a bearing for a shaft A2, having applied to it a suitable carrier A5 for imparting movement to the pad and stencil-sheet to be described. The carrier A3, as represented, has its ends united by a suitable face'A4, which` may be of metal or Wood. The carrier, as represented, has mounted upon it a pad-holder B, represented as a frame presenting four sides to protect the edges of the pad from atmospheric inuences, and a bottom plate or imperforate surface B2, one end of thevholder being pivotedsuitably upon the carrier at B3, the end of the carrier which is not pivoted being detachably connected in any suitable manner with the carrier, as by locking devices, herein represented as spring-catches B5, engaging suitable notches in the holder. It will be noted that the plate B2 is not provided with perforations for the supply of ink therethrough,

through which the ink is not to be delivered to the pad would be within the scope 0f my invention. Instead of these catches B5, I may use any other suitable or equivalent device.

In the embodiment of my invention, as,` more clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the padholder B is provided at its under side, near each end, with suit-able hooks or engaging devices, as B, with which may be engaged the head and tail pieces 2 3 of the ink-holding pad 4, said head and tail pieces being represented in said Figs. 3 and 5 as forming part of a piece of cotton or other web or fabric a, which may overlie the pad 4 and the ends 6 and 7 of the pad-holder, the said head and tail pieces being caught upon hooks or engaging devices B6 on the under side of the end 6 and 7. Instead of employing hooks as the engaging devices I may employ any other usual means and any such supporting-surface.

with which the head and tail pieces may be engaged to hold the pad in proper position.

The ink-holding pad 4, as shown in Fig. 5, which is adapted to retain a large quantity of ink, rests upon the surface ofthe pad-holder, and upon it is placed the body sheet or fabric a, formed of woven material and preferably reinforced to prevent it from stretching when extended upon the pad by a soft absorbent material 4', such as cotton wadding or the like, it being of such a thickness as not to prevent ink from being delivered when the ink-holding pad 4 is subjected to pressure. Preferably the web a will extend entirely over the pad and form a backing against which will be laid the stencil-sheet C. The tailpiece having been engaged withthe pad-holder, the headpiece must be also engaged with the padholder and the pad must be stretchedPevenly and uniformly, and to provide for this I have added to the head end of the pad a metal draw-bar a', it being contained in a pocket formed by two transverse rows of stitches 10 and 12, made,as represented, through the pad, shown as composed of two layers of blanket material and the muslin or other web.

My invention would not be departed from should I interpose between the pad and the stencil-sheet one or more layers of cloth or fiber.

The carrier shown is cylindrical, and the end pieces of the carrier are provided with like cam projections a2, which are located immediately in advance of the leading end 6 of the padholder,said end constituting one member of a nipping-feed which engages the sheet to be printed, impinging it against a suitable nipping feed-roller D, having lits journal 13 sustained in suitable slots 14, formed in the ends of arms D', connected by a cross-bar D2 and free to turn on the cross-rod A. The journal ot' the roller D, outside the frame carrying it, has attached to it suitable trundles D4, against which act the cams 0L2 of the carrier, suitable springs D5, connected with the journal of the roller D and with an adjusting device D, shown as a screw-threaded' rod acting to press the roller normally in contact with the end plates of the carrier. The cams of the carrier acting upon the trundles depress the roller D as the carrier is rotated, lowering said roller, so'that the leading end of the sheet to be printedl may be projected more or less over the roller, so thatv when the cam-shaped* nipping end of the pad-holder; movable with the carrier meets the upper side of the sheet said padholder and roller thereafter act in unison to hold onto the sheet to be printed upon, causing it to move in unison with the carrier, the pad-holder, and the stencil-sheet vuntil the entire length of the stencilsheet has operated, the printed sheet being delivered upon a suitable receiving-table D7. As the springs D5 act to impinge the rollerD against the outside of the paper to be printed, the said roller during the printing operation re- IOO IIO

mains in contact with the paper as the printing is being done from one to the other end of the stencil-sheet, and the pressure of the roller on the sheet being printed upon and thestencil causes sufficient ink to be squeezed from the pad to cause the stencil to operate and produce upon the sheet to be printed characters outlined on the stencil-sheet.

It is of the utmost importance that the edges of the sheet to be printed travel through the machine exactly parallel with the stencilsheet, and to insure this I have devised a new feed-table composed of a bed E, having at its under side suitable lugs or projections, as E E2, which engage the tie-rods A', so located as to enable said bed to be moved in a hori` zontal plane parallel with the longitudinal axis of the carrier. This bed has pivotally mounted upon it a table E4, the pivot being indicated by E5,thei table having erected upon it at one side an upright gage E", slotted longitudinally to provide for an adjustment on the top of the tableof a stop orstarting gage E7, said gage having at one end a suitable screw-threaded stud which is engaged by a suitable th umb-nut ES, ing the gage in any adjusted position.

In printingpagesto be bound 'in a book itA is desirable that the top space or head-line of each page be uniform, and I provide for this by adjusting the gage longitudinally on the table,so` that the operator feeding each sheet upon the table. by hand may'place thel rear end vof, the sheet against the front edge of the gage, thus insuring a uniform projection of the front end of the sheet beyond theV end ofthe table.

As before stated, Fig. G4 represents on an enlarged sc ale,a section offone form or modilication of my novel stencil-sheet detached, and referring to4 said Fig. 6, b represents a sheet of thin silk, muslin, or chilien, and b a body for the sheet, composed, it may be, of

thin ,cotton Wadding, the same `varying in.

thickness, as desired. i

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, isfl. In a stencil-printing machine, a carrier having a substantially,imperforate support-` ing-surface, an ink-holding pad composed of a thickblanket adapted to be saturated to re tain a comparatively large quantity of ink, and supported by said surface, a stencil-sheet superposed on said pad and formed of textile material, the pad when subjected to pressure delivering its ink through the stencil-sheet.

2. In a stencil-printing machine, a carrier, a connected pad-holder having a substantially imperforate surface to receive a pad adapted to be saturated with ink, said pad when subjected to pressure'delivering ink to a stencil-sheet, said vstencil-sheet being formed of textile material and su'perposed on said pad.

' 3. In a stencil-printing machine, a carrier,

a pivoted pad-holder having a pad-holdingl the thumb-nut conn-` -a pad adapted to be saturated with ink and a pivoted pad-holder having an imperforate supporting-surface to sustainsaid pad and means for connecting said pad to said holder.

5. In a stencil-printing apparatus, a v pad adapted to be saturated with ink, means to hold one end of said pad in fixed position, and a device located at the opposite end of said pad to enable the same to be stretched uniformly when the pad is being applied to the apparatus.

6. In a stencil-printingmachine, a carrier having an imperforate supporting-surface, a saturated pad cooperatively connected therewith and a stencil-sheet formed of textile material, aframe having slotted bearings, and a roller having its journals entering said bearings, means coacting with said journals to support said roller and frame yieldingly, said roller rolling over the outer surface of they sheet being printed forcing it against the stencil-sheet on said pad depressed by said frame moving the` roller away from the path of movement of said pad. j

7. In a stencil-printin g machine, a suitable rotative carrier, a connected pad-holder and stencil-sheet support, a suitable cam movable with said carrier, a sheetdelivery table, a roller depressed intermittingly by the direct contact of the cam of the carrier therewith to enable the leading end ofthe sheet about to be printed to be fed betweenthe rollerand the leading end of the movable pad-holder, and means to move said roller and cause itto im pingethe paperto be printed between itself pad-holder, said roller coactin g with i,

and said said pad-holder to feed and effect the printing of the sheet and its delivery from the machine.

S. A stencil-sheet composed of woven ma'- j terial coated with a substance impervious to ink and capable of beingV abraded or disturbed to enable ink to pass through thestencil-sheet and imprint which the sheet is mounted and a backing to said body layer to prevent stretching.`

9. A stencil-sheet composed of a thin textile fabric coated with a substance impervious to .y

layer of soft absorbent material ink, a body reinforcing said sheet to prevent vstretching' IIO i the stencil characters upon paper, and an attached body layer upon thereof, and an ink-holdingpad on which said body layer of absorbent material and st encili sheet arevsuperposed.

l0. In a stencil-printin g machine, a carrier having an imperforate supporting-surface, an

ink-holding pad movable therewith and com- A posed of a thick blanket adapted to be satu-. rated with a comparativelylarge quantity of ink, means to sustain the pad on the support- `ing-surface of the carrier, the pad sustaining at its outer side a ste ncilsheet,and means to sustain the sheet to be printed upon, the

pad when subjected to pressure during the the pad and the stencil-sheet, and means action of printingdelivering its contained ink to sustain the sheet to be printed upon, the

through the stencil-sheet. pad when subjected to pressure during the ac- I 5 11. In a stencil-printing machine, a carrier tion of printing delivering its contained ink 5 having a substantially imperforate supportthrough the stencil-sheet.

ing-surface, an ink holding pad movable In testimony whereof I have signed my therewith and composed of a thick blanket name to this specification in the presence of adapted to he saturated with a comparatively two subscribing witnesses.

large quantity of ink, means to sustain the JAMES A. AMBLER. 1o pad at the exterior of the carrier, the pad suslVitnesses:

taining at its outer side a steneilsheet, a GEO. NV. GREGORY,

sheet of textile material interposed between MARGARET A. DUNN. 

